Hip Preteens Out In Their Jeans
by ragtime tune
Summary: There's a universal truth about growing up: it sucks. A high school AU.


**Hip Preteens Out in Their Jeans: The High School AU!sical**, G - PG-13. Mostly silliness, this is an ongoing, out-of-order, out-of-context series of one-shots and drabbles exploring Spring Awakening if it were to take place in a modern high school setting. Be warned that this is...a high school AU, I guess. I'm sure you know about them.

Spring Awakening remains the intellectual property of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, no matter how strange this is. The title comes from the song "A Comet on Its Way".

This will be somewhat of a series, if you can refer to something so disconnected as such.

* * *

**i:**  
_oh my darling, there's a heaven_

Moritz Stiefel chewed on his lip.

Already red and chapped from the cold, his incessant chewing wasn't making his abused lips any better. Just like his incessant smoking wasn't making his abused lungs any better. Just like his incessant biting wasn't making his abused fingernails any better.

He leaned back against his locker, face cast downward. Melchior Gabor stood next to him, or, rather, he stood next to Melchior Gabor. Melchior was first, Moritz was second. That was how it had always been, and that's how Moritz assumed it would stay forever. Everyone's eyes drifted towards Melchior, with his bright eyes and tangible charm; not Moritz, with his messy hair and melancholy look.

It didn't bother Moritz, no, not that much. He didn't mind shadows.

xxx

Her voice came out very small.

"...Ernst?"

"Ilse? Is that you?"

"Can I...can I come up there?"

"How...?"

But Ilse was already climbing up the oak tree and at his windowsill. She was grimacing, flinching when she moved, sitting delicately on the branch. Ernst helped her into his window, gingerly pulling her towards him.

"It's just, I didn't know where to go, and the artists would...I know that you wouldn't...can I stay here tonight?"

Ernst nodded mutely, trying not to notice everything that's wrong about this picture; everything that's wrong about Ilse's messy hair and hunched shoulders and pale face and awkward, pleading smile.

"Of course, Ilse."

She took a blanket and spread it out on the floor, curling up with her knees to her chest.

Ernst waited until her breathing slowed and her chest rose and fell peacefully before lifting her impossibly small body up onto his bed and taking her place on the floor.

xxx

"Uh...?" Bobby Maler said as an answer to a question.

"Nice work, Maler," Mr. Bonebreaker replied. "The next game is at Greenwich, right?"

"Yeah," Bobby said.

xxx

She passed her cigarette to him and slid down the yellow slide.

"Do you remember? I'd stand up there – we'd pretend it was a pirate ship! And, in second grade, when we all dressed like pirates for Halloween? Do you remember? Melchi and Wendla and you and me, we all had eye-patches and hats?"

He took a drag and followed her down.

"How could I forget?"

He passed it back.

"We could do it again...we could play pirates, like we used to. You and me. Captain Ilse and First Mate Moritz."

She blew smoke out at the sky.

xxx

"...that's how it works. Unless you're gay or whatever..."

He did not need this right now.

"'Cause I'd be totally cool with that, Moritz. Really, I wouldn't care. In fact..."

He really did not need this right now.

xxx

"You have to come with me, Hanschen." Ernst's eyes were wide, pleading. He looked almost like a sad puppy.

Hanschen did not particularly like puppies.

"Please, Ernst. I am not a drama sort of person. I have work to do. You have work to do. Algebra, Latin...and that history paper."

"But, drama looked like it would be so much fun!"

"Then go by yourself. Have all the fun you'd like. I'm studying for Algebra."

Ernst sighed and huffed.

"You're not very convincing, Ernst."

Ernst sighed again and looked at Hanschen pitifully through his bangs.

"You lost, Ernst. Come and sit; we're doing Algebra first."

xxx

Bang. Was it really that easy? Bang, and then you're dead. Bang, and then there was nothing left of you. Bang, and then all your troubles were gone, floating away in the wind. Bang, and then there's no more feeling, no more wanting.

Bang, just like in video games. Bang, just like in action movies. Bang bang bang, but the actors didn't really die, only the characters. And they weren't real.

Metal, shiny and silver, was very real.

_Bang._


End file.
